First Words
by ladeste
Summary: Soulmate AU. Finding the person whose first words to you are written somewhere on your body can be an interesting experience. A collection of one shots with different pairings. Pairings listed in chapter title.
1. Killer x Koala

_This is a soulmate AU where the first words that your soulmate says to you are written somewhere on your body. The Killer x Koala pairing (or KillerKoala) was inspired by Anjelle, and quite honestly I'd never though about them until they mentioned it, but once I did I really had to write something for them. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Koala puffed out her cheeks in annoyance as she took in her situation. Separated from Hack and Sabo, she needed to regroup with them at the southern tip of the island in an hour. The problem? Her path to their rendezvous point was blocked by pirates. Coming across pirates was not unusual in her line of work, but interacting with them was. Going around them at a safe distance was almost physically impossible, the dense jungle sloping down dramatically to either side of the river side track she was supposed to follow. It would almost double her travelling time to get outside their range – during which time Sabo was likely to panic and come crashing into the pirates, negating all of her hard work in the first place.

Of the pirates that she'd seen along the outer rim of their group, Koala didn't recognise any of them, and until she saw the Captain, or if it was a particularly notorious crew, the first mate, she had no idea who the band of pirate's were.

Slipping just inside the tree line, Koala placed one foot in front of the other, each step carefully considered to avoid making noise. As she neared the group, Koala paused behind a tree, her breathing soft as she channelled her energy into remaining calm. There was a gap in the trees. Two meters. If she moved fast enough she could probably make it in three steps, which was likely to be three steps too many (curse her and her short stature).

Her fingers were splayed against the moss covered bark of the tree, as she took a steadying breath. A quick check. Go. Run. Run. Ru–.

"What was that?"

Koala slammed her back into the tree she'd been racing towards, pushing her way into the tangle of wide roots, desperately wishing that they passed her movements off as a wild animal and let it go.

Luck was not on her side.

"Killer, check it out."

Koala had too much experience to make any sound at the order, but she couldn't stop the fear racing through her heart. One on one she could take down a pirate –if they weren't some big name. But a whole pirate crew?

Killer.

Latching onto the name, Koala flicked through her mental pirate inventory. The only problem was that pirates tended to be a rather unimaginative bunch, and it wouldn't surprise her if one in every five pirate crews had someone on board that went by 'Killer'.

The crunch of heavy boots stopping in front of her drew her out of her thoughts.

He was tall, though to her most people were, with thick blond hair framing his blue and white striped mask. The Massacre Soldier. One of the eleven supernova. First mate of Eustass 'Captain' Kid. Well shit.

He didn't say anything, but she could feel his eyes rake over, assessing her.

"Well, Killer?" A voice called from the pirates, Captain Kid, Koala presumed.

"What are you doing here?" Killer finally addressed her. Not answering his Captain's question for now.

His Captain tended to act rashly, kill first, consequences later, and whilst he wasn't much better, he wanted answers. This island was supposed to be uninhabited. The fact that there was someone here meant that their intel had been faulty, or that there was another crew floating around that his Captain would no doubt want to fight with.

Koala stiffened as the words. They weren't anything new. She'd head them dozens of times, a side effect of being in the revolutionary army and often getting into places she shouldn't have been, but they were still _her_ words. The words that were written along the back of her neck, always carefully concealed by her hair or shirt collar. When she'd been a slave she'd imagined a rescuer dashing in to save her, she would have spoken first, and his reply would have been one of outrage at what she'd been subjected to. Her childhood fantasy had long since passed, and in the depth of soul she knew that whoever her soulmate was, they would stand on opposing ground.

Her delayed response saw Killer raise his scythe-blades, one coming to rest along her neck.

"What are you doing here?" Killer repeated.

The time that had elapsed had clearly been enough to agitate his Captain. Killer well versed in picking out the familiar stomp of Eustass, which was heading their way.

"What cha got, Killer?"

An unpleasant grin spread across Kid's face, and Koala quickly turned her focus back to the man holding a blade her throat. She had to talk her way out of this – fast.

"I was just passing through." Koala spoke in a rush, looking at where she thought Killer's eyes would be behind his mask. "I didn't know there were others on the island and I didn't want to bother you."

Koala hadn't expected any explanation she could give to work, and yet Killer pulled the blade away from her, stepping back as he did so.

A grunt sounded from the back of Killer's throat as he looked to his Captain. His hand brushed along the back of his shoulder where his cramped words resided.

"My soulmate."

Koala's muscles tensed, her body locking up at the two words. Pirate soulmates were riskier than a game of roulette. It was not unheard of for pirates to kill their soulmates so that they wouldn't be tied to anyone. Amongst the worst of the pirates, it was often the Captain's that dispensed of a crew member's soulmate, not wanting divided loyalties.

There had been many a time when Koala had believed that Sabo was going to kill her with one of his half thought through schemes, but she'd never felt closer to death then she did now.

Kid's goggles raised as his facial muscles lifted in surprise. Killer was his most trusted right hand… well his left hand, since he'd lost his. To be the soulmate of such a timid little rabbit… A snort escaped him. Turning away from his first mate and his soulmate, Kid waved his hand in a casual dismissal as he wandered back to his crew.

"Come back when you're done."

His words offered Koala no comfort as her gaze remained locked on the man that held her future in his hands.

An exasperated puff of air, blew through Killer's mask as he sunk to the ground, folding himself to sit cross legged. At least now he wasn't towering over her.

Having been crouched into the roots of the tree, Koala didn't have far to drop so that she was also seated of the jungle floor.

The pair sat in silence, staring at each other until Koala managed to find something to say.

"I need to get to the southern shore. My friends are waiting for me."

Koala had been trying to keep the others out of anything she'd said earlier, hoping to keep them safe, but if Killer hadn't killed her yet, perhaps she had a chance.

"Pirates?" Killer questioned.

"No. I'm with the Revolutionary Army."

That seemed to be a surprise, as Killer tilted his head, clearly reassessing his initial evaluation of her.

"Revolutionary." Killer muttered to himself.

Whilst he had been loud enough for her to hear, Koala kept silent.

"S'pose you've got places to be."

"Yes."

"My loyalties will always be to my Captain."

Her eyes shone in a way that Killer recognised. It seemed like he wasn't the only one who had other loyalties that would always come first.

"You should go meet your friends."

Rising to his feet, Killer offered his hand down to his soulmate, pulling her to her feet.

"Seems like the island's uninhabited after all." Killer drawled slowly, hoping that she'd catch on to what he was implying, "Ain't nothing here but trees."

Bobbing her head in agreement, Koala reaffirmed his statement, "Yes. Nothing but trees."

Releasing her hand, Killer, moved back towards where his Captain and crew were waiting for him. Just before he made it out of the tree line, Killer turned back to her.

"I didn't get your name."

Koala bit her lip, unsure whether she ought to give it at all. He was letting her go though, and he wasn't going to inform anyone that the revolutionary army had been sniffing around.

"Koala."

Nodding his head once, Killer stepped out of the trees and disappeared from view.

Realising how much time she'd spent talking with her soulmate, Koala broke into a run, no longer worried about the noise of her footfalls. When she could no longer hear the Kid Pirates, Koala broke back through the tree line, picking up speed as she was finally able to use the path along the river side. Sabo was going to be onto her for days if she was late – her own fault for doing the same to him every time he was late (most times). As she ran Koala groaned, a more terrifying thought racing through her head.

What was she going to write in her report?

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you have any other pairings that you'd like to see in a soulmate au, let me know and I might_ _be able to do s_ _ome more!_


	2. Shakky x Rayleigh

_Thank you to AnyMoreBrightIdeasGenius for your suggestions! I love these guys, so here's a short Shakky x Rayleigh first meeting._

* * *

Rayleigh would not say that he was lost. He hadn't been lost for a very long time, but he would concede that he was perhaps, without purpose. Almost a year to the day that he'd last seen Roger, and finally, today was the day. He hadn't been able to bring himself to go to his best friend's execution. Instead he roamed Sabaody his head caught up in memories of his Captain and the crew.

Had anyone gone?

Was anyone standing there waiting for the blades to fall?

Shanks and Buggy probably. Logue Town would by crawling with marines, and neither of them had much in the way of self-preservation, well, Buggy did. Shanks, on the other hand… The damn brat had the audacity to ask him to sail –not with him– but under him before they'd parted. The cheek of the boy! Yes, Shanks would be there, Buggy likely trailing not far behind. Marines or no marines.

He came to a stop as he realised that his feet had lead him further into the lawless zones of Sabaody, to a bar. Alcohol. Yes. A bar was just what he needed at the moment.

Pushing through the swinging doors, the bar was blessedly devoid of other patrons – most he assumed having taken up residence somewhere closer to the news outlets reporting on Roger's imminent execution.

Sinking into a stool at the bar's counter, Rayleigh offered the lovely young woman behind the counter a small grin.

"Don't suppose _all the alcohol_ is an option?"

Shakky's eyes widened before returning to their natural size, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her thoughts racing to the question imprinted on her thigh. The words that had always left her dreaming of one day owning a bar. Hoping that this would be the first and last time this exact question was asked of her, Shakky leant her elbows on the counter, her head resting on her intertwined fingers as her teasing reply fell from her lips.

"That depends if you can afford it or not."

Snorting softly in disbelief, Rayleigh pushed back a few lose strands of his blond hair. He could practically hear Roger laughing at him from the afterlife. Of all the places, of all the days, to find the woman whose words wrapped around his upper arm. Roger was definitely laughing at him.

Dropping his bag of beli on the counter, Rayleigh leant back on his stool, a cocky grin replacing his earlier half-hearted attempt.

"Is there a discount for soulmates?"

Shakky pushed the bag back to him as she slid away from the counter to collect a bottle of her best rum.

"Name's Rayleigh." He offered whilst her back was turned to him.

Looking over her shoulder, her smile morphed into a smirk, her eyes alight with amusement.

"I know. I'm Shakky."

Placing the bottle down in front of him, Shakky pulled out two glasses and poured each of them a generous serving. Picking up her glass, Shakky tilted it towards Rayleigh's in a toast, enjoying the sound of the clinking of the glass.

"To the King of the Pirates?" Shakky offered.

"To the Pirate King." Rayleigh agreed.

* * *

 _Thank you to my guest reviewers and to all my reviewers, I really appreciate hearing from you. If you'd like to suggest a pairing and/or a set of words, let me know, and if something takes my interest I'll see what I can do!_


End file.
